Science Park Schedule

Wondering why you always feel hotter when wearing black instead of a light color? Try this experiment to prove that there are valid reasons for this to occur. This experiment looks at different types of colors reacting to the sun and which one will generate and capture more heat. Check it out!

What You Will Need:

2 Identical Drinking Glasses or Jars

Water

Thermometer

2 Elastic Bands

White Paper

Black Paper

Instructions:

Wrap the white paper around one of the glasses using an elastic band or sellotape to hold it on.

Do the same with the black paper and the other glass

Fill the glass with the exact same amount of water

Leave the glasses out in the sun for a couple of hours before returning to measure the temperature of the water in each.

What is Happening?

Dark surfaces such as the black paper absorb more light and the heat than the lighter one such as the white paper. After measuring the temperatures of the water, the glass with the black paper around it should be hotter than the other. Lighter surfaces reflect more light, that’s why people with lighter colored clothes in the summer keep cooler.

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